Transforming the National Political Conversation

I think that both major parties waste too much political capital on trying to abridge established rights. Why not take it as given that we have the right to keep and bear arms, terminate a pregnancy until the 24th week, or marry someone of either sex? Hardly anyone embraces all three simultaneously, but all three are established rights. The talk of abridging rights is a key driver of our polarized political landscape. People are more apt to get defensive when a right they value is threatened.

Rather than trying to control the choices these rights imply, why not use politics as a tool to shape policies that help with problems associated with these rights? For instance, what can we do to lower unwanted pregnancies to reduce abortions? How about focusing on the reduction of crime and terror so people don’t feel so inclined to build an arsenal for their safety?

The three rights I’ve chosen as examples of course do not enumerate all of our rights, but they have been tinder for many arguments that prevent consensus on useful political action. The laws of this land should not be a theatre for personal values or any one religion. There should not be bills, ballot measures or new amendments that take away rights.